The appointment advances the Groupe’s investment in creative leadership to help clients build stronger brands and businesses.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 2026: Publicis Groupe Middle East has announced the appointment of Kalpesh Patankar as Chief Creative Officer of Leo Constellation, which comprises the creative agencies of Leo Gulf and Publicis Gulf, marking the return of one of the industry’s most accomplished creative leaders to the region.  

Kalpesh rejoins the Groupe in an expanded role, leading the creative agenda across Leo and Publicis Gulf in the UAE and KSA. He will work closely with clients and leadership teams to define how creativity can address their most important business priorities, build stronger brands, and support long-term growth.

Bassel Kakish, Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey, said: “This is a homecoming, and a good one. Our commitment to creative excellence is a commitment we make to our talents & clients, and Kalpesh has spent his career delivering on it. He builds an environment where talents thrive, and ambitious ideas survive, and that is where we keep investing.”

Marco Venturelli, Co-President Leo Constellation Global quoted, “Kalpesh is an incredible talent, I always admired his ability to deliver powerful work that sparks from a deep understanding of people, business and brands. Across markets, cultures and categories, he has consistently shown how strong ideas can create value for clients while remaining deeply human. That’s all Leo Constellation is about, and I am so happy to write the next chapter together.”

Kalpesh’s career has taken him across India, Singapore, APAC and the Middle East. Over more than two decades, he has helped brands grow, businesses compete more effectively and agencies raise the standard of the work they produce. His experience includes Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Harvey Nichols, Land Rover, Colgate, Nestlé and Unilever.

At the heart of his approach is a simple belief, there are no rules to creativity. Across markets and cultures, he has challenged conventions, built celebrated creative cultures and shown that great ideas can come from anywhere. His work and leadership have been recognised by leading industry organisations, including appointments as Jury President at Cannes Lions, D&AD, ANDY Awards and ADFEST to name a few. 

As Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett UAE during his previous tenure with the Groupe, he led the agency to back-to-back Agency of the Year and Network of the Year wins at Dubai Lynx, and to three consecutive years as the region’s most effective agency at the MENA Effies. He joins from VML India, where he was Group Chief Creative Officer.

Fizo Younis, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe Middle East, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kalpesh back home. He was a true pillar of the Groupe in his previous role, and someone who helped set the creative bar for this region. He comes back with an even bigger mandate, and I’m confident he’ll take us to new heights, bringing people together around ambitious work and a shared creative vision for Leo Constellation”

Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Constellation Gulf, added, “Coming back feels familiar in all the right ways. This is a business with big ambitions, great talent, and clients who want to do meaningful work. That’s always been a combination I find hard to resist. The opportunity now is to keep pushing the quality of the work, help grow the next generation of creative talent, and create ideas that have a real impact on businesses and culture.